D-Day Plus 80

80 years ago today:

From Wikipedia:

The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D-Day, it is the largest seaborne invasion in history.

"D-Day Plus 20 Years - Eisenhower Returns to Normandy"

Less than two months from now, the 80th anniversary of the June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of Europe, D-Day, will take place.

In 1964, CBS Reports commemorated the 20th anniversary of the invasion with Walter Cronkite and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower with a special. In it, Cronkite and Eisenhower discussed the invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France.

The video of that broadcast is on YouTube. I remember watching it when it first aired in 1964. 

Here's the video's summary:

The Allied invasion of Nazi-controlled France on June 6, 1944 was the largest military invasion in history, involving nearly 160,000 service members arriving by ship and air at Normandy. Its success turned the tide of World War II. Two decades after D-Day, former Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was Supreme Commander in charge of the operation, returned to Normandy. Eisenhower talked with CBS News' Walter Cronkite about his experiences in June 1944, the tactical decisions behind Operation Overlord, and how British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was talked out of joining the invading forces. Eisenhower and Cronkite visited the Allies' war room on England's southern coast; the coast of France, including Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach; and the American military cemetery at St. Laurent-on-the-Sea. This special broadcast of "CBS Reports," featuring newsreel footage of the invasion, originally aired in 19 countries around the world on June 5, 1964. 

Reagan-RFK Debate...and Eisenhower

Above, Eisenhower and Reagan.

It is interesting to note in American political history that former President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a friend and fan of then-Governor Ronald Reagan of California. 

From the Washington Examiner:

A footnote in a book about Ronald Reagan led Gene Kopelson to drop by the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas, in the fall of 2012. Kopelson is a physician, not an academically trained historian. But he had begun research on Reagan's presidential run in 1968, a campaign to which historians have paid little attention and Reagan himself never counted as his first bid for the White House.

The author of the footnote was Kiron Skinner, a Reagan scholar at the Hoover Institution. It pointed to a connection between Reagan and former president Dwight D. Eisenhower during the 1960s when Reagan was running for governor of California and, later, having won the election, was considering a presidential race. Kopelson was intrigued. He lives in Seattle and spends half the year in medicine, half pursuing his interest in history. He had planned a trip east along I-70. It would take him to three places in Missouri—the Truman Library in Independence, the scene of Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech in Fulton, and Mark Twain's hometown in Hannibal—and to the Lincoln Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois.

Prompted by the footnote, Kopelson added an I-70 stop at the Eisenhower Museum, Library and Boyhood Home in Abilene. "I thought this would be a good thing to look at," he says. It was a history-making decision in the sense that Kopelson discovered the breadth of a little-known but historically significant episode in Reagan's path to the presidency.

When Dwight Eisenhower left the White House in 1961, he didn't divorce himself from politics. He worried about the future of the Republican party, and this led him to Reagan. From 1965 to 1968, he advised Reagan—and not just on foreign affairs and national security policy. His guidance also focused on the practical politics of running for office. Ike was the teacher, Reagan his pupil. They met in person four times, once at Ike's farm in Gettysburg and twice at the former president's winter home in Palm Desert, California. The fourth location is unknown—at least, Kopelson hasn't nailed it down. And they communicated by telephone and by mail.

In 1967, Reagan appeared in a television hookup with Sen. Robert F. Kennedy to discuss the image of America at the time with international students who were quite hostile to Reagan, Kennedy and the moderator, Charles Collingwood of CBS.

Reagan was seen as the victor in this "debate" and Kennedy was seen as floundering. Kennedy and Reagan didn't debate each other, but rather with some "petulant brats". It is interesting that Eisenhower prepped Reagan for the program. 

According to American Magazine:

Ronald Reagan and Bobby Kennedy would finally cross paths on a more personal level five years later, by way of a television hookup in May 1967. Both men (in separate studios, Reagan in Sacramento and Kennedy in Washington, D.C.) were to “debate” each other and a panel of international college students from a studio in London. By that time, Reagan was governor of California and Kennedy was the U.S. senator from New York. The CBS program was called “Town Meeting of the World,” and the topic for discussion was “The Image of America and the Youth of the World.” The dialogue—such as it was—was a program of heated and often hostile questioning about the United States and its role in Vietnam.

In the aftermath, Reagan was judged the victor, with his poise, unflappability and knowledgeable recital of the facts at hand. (It didn’t hurt that in his “debate prep” he had former president Dwight D. Eisenhower to assist him.) For his part, Kennedy appeared unsure and hesitant. He knew that Reagan had bested him. The hostility from the students was palpable, not only toward the governor and the senator but also toward the moderator, CBS correspondent Charles Collingwood, and the lone American on the student panel, Princeton’s Bill Bradley (then studying at Oxford), who would later have a career in both basketball and politics.

Kennedy, following the telecast, was not pleased. 

According to National Review:

Once an hour had passed, Chris Collingwood jumped in to mercifully stop the spectacle. Kennedy interrupted, requesting a final word. Stating that he was speaking on behalf of Reagan as well, he concluded with a patronizing statement about “how much we’ve enjoyed” the internationally broadcast inquisition and the importance of “dialogue,” which, of course, this discussion was not. Kennedy’s compliment was obviously untrue and even more obviously undeserved; this group of petulant brats had earned not gratitude but a good spanking. Embarrassingly, Reagan felt it necessary to second Kennedy’s gesture. On the plus side, perhaps both men showed these 19-year-old know-it-alls a thing or two about civility.

Reagan performed so well that his presidential boosters sought to use clips from the debate during the 1968 Oregon presidential primary, and requested a copy from CBS. Kennedy, however, reportedly did not want the video to be made available; CBS, naturally, acceded to his request. Kennedy himself conceded defeat to Reagan, telling his aides after the debate to never again put him on the same stage with “that son-of-a-bitch.” Kennedy was heard to ask immediately after the debate, “Who the f— got me into this?” Frank Mankiewitz was that aide, as Kennedy was quick to remind him a few weeks later: “You’re the guy who got me into that Reagan thing.”

The program is quite fascinating to watch. 

Here's a video of it:

A little side note:

Collingwood was once married to actress Louise Albritton (Son of Dracula (1943)) until her death in 1979.

Ike and Susan B. Anthony Dollars

Above, a 1978 Eisenhower and 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollars. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Two more coins I found this morning from the box of stuff from the strongbox were a 1978 Eisenhower dollar (also called the Ike dollar) and a 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar. 

Neither are worth too much, maybe a little bit over denominational value. Of the two, the Anthony dollar is probably worth less than the Eisenhower dollar. It was just an unpopular coin, it is about the size of a quarter. Since it was introduced during the administration of President Jimmy Carter, critics called the Susan B. Anthony dollar the "J.C. penny".

On the Susan B. Anthony dollar, from Wikipedia:

The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States dollar coin minted from 1979 to 1981 when production was suspended due to poor public acceptance, and then again in 1999. Intended as a replacement for the larger Eisenhower dollar, the new smaller one-dollar coin went through testing of several shapes and compositions, but all were opposed by the vending machine industry, a powerful lobby affecting coin legislation. Finally, a round planchet with an eleven-sided inner border was chosen for the smaller dollar.

The original design for the smaller dollar coin depicted an allegorical representation of Liberty on the obverse, but organizations and individuals in Congress called for the coin to depict a real woman. Several proposals were submitted, and social reformer Susan B. Anthony was selected as the design subject. The reverse design of the Eisenhower dollar was retained, an engraving of the Apollo 11 mission insignia showing an eagle landing on the Moon. Both sides of the coin, as well as the rejected Liberty design, were created by Frank Gasparro, the Chief Engraver of the United States Mint.

One and a half billion coins were struck in anticipation of considerable public demand, but the Anthony dollar was poorly received, in part because of confusion caused by its similarity in size and metallic composition to the quarter.

On the Eisenhower dollar, from Wikipedia: 

The Eisenhower dollar was a one-dollar coin issued by the United States Mint from 1971 to 1978; it was the first coin of that denomination issued by the Mint since the Peace dollar series ended in 1935. The coin depicts President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the obverse, and on the reverse a stylized image honoring the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon mission based on the mission patch designed by astronaut Michael Collins. Both sides were designed by Frank Gasparro. It is the only large-size U.S. dollar coin whose circulation strikes contained no silver.

In 1965, because of rises in bullion prices, the Mint began to strike copper-nickel clad coins instead of silver. No dollar coins had been issued in thirty years, but, beginning in 1969, legislators sought to reintroduce a dollar coin into commerce. After Eisenhower died that March, there were a number of proposals to honor him with the new coin. While these bills generally commanded wide support, enactment was delayed by a dispute over whether the new coin should be in base metal or 40% silver. In 1970, a compromise was reached to strike the Eisenhower dollar in base metal for circulation, and in 40% silver as a collectible. President Richard Nixon, who had served as vice president under Eisenhower, signed legislation authorizing mintage of the new coin on December 31, 1970.

Although the 40% silver collector's pieces sold well, the new base-metal dollars failed to circulate to any degree, except in and around Nevada casinos, where they took the place of privately issued tokens. There are no dollars dated 1975; coins from that year and from 1976 bear a double date 1776–1976, and a special reverse by Dennis R. Williams in honor of the bicentennial of American independence.

As Wikipedia states, the Eisenhower dollar circulated around Nevada casinos. They were fun to use when I spent Spring Break in Las Vegas in 1973, especially while playing roulette. I thought the Susan B. Anthony dollar was too much like a quarter and the portrait of Anthony was ugly (like a hag or wicked witch). 

I am definitely keeping the Eisenhower dollar as they are not easy to find. I haven't seen a circulated one in decades.

The Heroism of Owning Gold and Silver

Above, a 90% silver Morgan dollar and a 40% silver Ike dollar. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since the lunatics took over control of the federal government two years ago, we have been seeing the U.S. dollar shrink in value from Bidenflation.

I have been advocating investing in precious metals (gold and silver) as a hedge against inflation and in case the dollar collapses completely. 

Numismatic News has posted an article with the position that investing in gold and silver is an "act of heroism".

Here's a snippet:

To help maintain prosperity and financial stability, Americans need a stable monetary system. For many decades of America’s history, there was stability and rising prosperity as the dollar was fixed to the prices of gold and silver. Since the U.S. dollar linkage to gold was completely severed in August 1971 and no U.S. silver coins for circulation have been struck since 1969, the relative purchasing power of the dollar has fallen significantly.

The recent U.S. government’s extraordinary surge in the money supply, with the M2 definition of the U.S. money supply up 42.9 percent from mid-September 2019 to October this year and the Federal Reserve Bank balance sheet up 127.7 percent from mid-September 2019 to Dec. 1, 2022, is accelerating the devaluation of the purchasing power of the dollar.

While ownership of bullion-priced physical gold and silver coins and ingots may help protect someone’s personal finances, as it has done for countless people over history, such ownership may also help contribute to helping maintain the prosperity and financial stability of the nation as a whole. When considered from that perspective, owning gold and silver could be called an act of heroism.

To read the full article, go here. 

Medal of Honor Recipient Hiroshi Miyamura, R.I.P.

Above, Hiroshi H. Miyamura, Medal of Honor recipient.

Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi H. Miyamura of Gallup, New Mexico passed away on November 29.

According to a Twitter posting yesterday by the New Mexico House Republicans:

New Mexico and our country have lost a shining light. Gallup-hero and #MedalofHonor recipient Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura passed away today. Thank you for your service. 

From KOB4:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura, a Korean War Medal of Honor recipient hailing from Gallup, has died. He was 97.

Miyamura was born in Gallup on October 6, 1925. In 1945, he first joined the U.S. Army and served in the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Infantry Regiment, which consisted of mostly Japanese Americans. He was discharged after Japan surrendered but then was called to active duty when the Korean War started. 

During the Korean War, Miyamura served as a corporal in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, Third Infantry Division.

Near Taejon-Ni, Korea, on April 24, 1951, enemy soldiers threatened to overrun Miyamura and his machine-gun squad. Miyamura reportedly ordered his men to retreat, then defended them with machine guns and hand-to-hand combat.

Reports indicate he gave first aid to his men and helped them evacuate, all while killing more than 50 enemy soldiers. Before he was captured, Miyamura continued to fight despite being severely wounded.

Fearing revenge, the U.S. kept quiet about his actions until he was released in August 1953.

Two months later, President Dwight D. Eisenhower bestowed the Medal of Honor upon the Gallup native at the White House.

Miyamura had been honored by the city of Gallup with an overpass and highway named for him.  

Wikipedia has a page devoted to Miyamura with details on his heroism during the Korean War. To access it, go here. 

To read more, go here.

Latest Coin Acquisitions

The Jamestown post office had a load of small packages waiting for me today. Two of them were coins I recently ordered.

One is an 1889 Morgan Silver Dollar (BU*) and the other is a 1971 Eisenhower Dollar (the only year that it contained 40% silver content), Uncirculated. I already had one, but found a good deal on another one and got it.

*Brilliant Uncirculated

Eisenhower and the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial

Above, Eisenhower campaign memorabilia at the Eisenhower
 Library in Abilene, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since 2022 marks the centennial of the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, the program featured highlights of the last 100 years.

One of them was a section from the 1950s. This was the first time that I heard that Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower paid a visit to the Ceremonial during the 1952 presidential campaign.

Here's a portion of the page that featured Eisenhower's visit:

 

Eisenhower Library Gets A Makeover

Above, the Place of Meditation is the final resting place of the President,
 First Lady, and their first-born son, Doud. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A little over three years ago, I stopped in and stayed overnight in Abilene, Kansas.

Abilene is the boyhood home and presidential library of our 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Above, the statue of Gen. Eisenhower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library campus includes his boyhood home, burial site and museum. The entire campus has recently been reopened after being renovated.

According to KSN.com:

ABILENE, Kan. (KSNW) – The story of President Dwight D. Eisenhower began in Kansas. Now, 200,000 people a year visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home in the neighborhood where he grew up in Abilene.

Over the years, an entire campus has grown up around the family home. It recently reopened after a renovation project. The makeover includes interactive displays and the flexibility to rotate exhibits. 

“It gives us the opportunity to be a little bit more flexible with the artifacts,” said Dawn Hammatt, the director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home. “We can rotate our artifacts more simply and that will give the visitors a different experience when they come.” 

With upgrades in technology, visitors can now choose the time and place they want to learn more about the Kansas president.

When I visited the museum, it seemed more focused on Eisenhower the general, rather than as president.

To read more, go here.

D-DAY + 75

On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which, “we will accept nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end, the Allies gained a foot-hold in Continental Europe. The cost in lives on D-Day was high. More than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded, but their sacrifice allowed more than 100,000 Soldiers to begin the slow, hard slog across Europe, to defeat Adolf Hitler’s crack troops.

To see more, go here.

General Eisenhower's message to the Allied troops:

Finished "Five Presidents"

Finally, after nine months after getting it, I've finished reading former Secret Service Agent Clint Hill's book, Five Presidents.

I had pre-ordered a personalized autographed book before heading up to Corte Madera in Marin County in early June to attend a talk and book signing at Book Passage by Clint Hill and co-author Lisa McCubbin.

Not that it was a thick or difficult book to read, it seemed that each time I was going to sit and read it, something else would come up or I was just too tired to read. Usually, I can finish a book of this type (non-fiction) in a couple of sittings.

Above, Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin at Book Passage. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was an interesting look at Hill's career as a secret service agent from the Eisenhower years to the early months of Gerald Ford's presidency.

Pretty much everything that occurred during those years are covered in the book including the Kennedy assassination, LBJ's Viet Nam troubles, Elvis Presley's visit with Nixon and Watergate.

For those who are interested in historical events from people who were there and able to give first-hand accounts, Five Presidents is a very satisfying read.

2 More Reviews Posted At TripAdvisor

Above, inside the Eisenhower boyhood home. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

TripAdvisor has approved and posted the last two reviews of attractions visited during my cross-country trip to Metropolis, Illinois.

The attractions posted are:

• Monument Valley: Goulding's Lodge and Tours
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

Above, the "Ear of the Wind" arch in Monument Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To go to TripAdvisor, go here.

Bought A Pair of Busts

No, not the kind of busts that I bought earlier this year and got very little benefit from.

These are two busts of President Abraham Lincoln I purchased while in Springfield, Illinois.

I bought very little in the way of souvenirs on the trip I completed yesterday. Very little, if anything, interested me. But I seem to have a somewhat growing collection of busts. These will join Elvis Presley, John Wayne, George Reeves and Ronald Reagan in my collection.

The one on the left I bought at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. If I remember correctly, I believe it is made of pewter.

The one on the right was at a Lincoln souvenir store just outside of the Oak Ridge Cemetery where Lincoln's Tomb is located. It was carved from a piece of coal. I thought it was pretty unique.

I considered getting one of President Eisenhower while at the Eisenhower Visitor Center, but I didn't care much for the design.

Eisenhower Library Photos

Above, the Eisenhower statue. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As promised, once I am at a campground with some decent Wi-Fi service, I would post pictures from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library & Museum in Abilene, Kansas.

So, here they are:

Above, the graves inside the Place of Meditation. Photo by Armand Vaquer..

Above, the Eisenhower tomb. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Visitor Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Place of Meditation. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Eisenhower boyhood home. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the living room. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the dining room and kitchen. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the parlor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the ENIGMA decoding machine. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Eisenhower's 1942 Cadillac Staff Car. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, campaign memorabilia. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Eisenhower campaign memorabilia. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Eisenhower Library. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Change of Plans, Etc.

Above, The Beast at the Covered Wagon Campground in Abilene, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A couple of things.

The infusion of cash finally came through. So now I have plenty of dough to get myself home and then some!

I am currently safely "tucked away" at the Covered Wagon Campground in Abilene, Kansas. I'll tour the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum tomorrow. After that, it is onward to Colorado. The owners of the campground must be very trusting souls. The office was closed and all I had to do was to get one of their envelopes, fill out my information, put a check in it and drop it into a red mailbox.

Next, in looking at the AccuWeather website, it appears that the roads may be too rough for The Beast and the temperatures too cold to go to Montrose, Colorado. Instead, it looks like I'll be heading south from Colorado Springs to Pueblo (I was last there in 1987 on insurance claims catastrophe duty for ten days). From Pueblo, I'll head to Durango. It appears to be an easier route to take. This wouldn't be a concern if this were the middle of summer. There's always the chance for some autumn snow in the Rockies.

Eventually, I'll go from Durango (and maybe make a stop at Mesa Verde National Park) to Monument Valley in Utah (location for several John Wayne/John Ford western classics). After Monument Valley, it will be the Grand Canyon and then home from there. If the Durango train is running (the shorter winter season trip) when I get there, I'll take a ride. It has been nearly 30 years since I last did so.

It is hard to believe that it has been two weeks since I started this "little" road trip.

A Visit With Sen. Greg Smith

Above, the west front of the Kansas Capitol Building. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Well, I made it to Abilene, Kansas, "The Home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower".

I am at the Covered Wagon Campground, a few blocks away from the Eisenhower Library and Museum. I will likely take the tour tomorrow.

I am still waiting for the money transfer, but I have enough to press ahead to Abilene. The transfer will be completed by tomorrow at the latest.

Above, yours truly with Sen. Greg Smith in the Capitol Building.

Before leaving Topeka, I stopped by the State Capitol Building to pay a quick social call on Kansas State Senator Greg Smith (Overland Park). As luck would have it, I arrived at the committee room where Sen. Smith was chairing a committee and found him just outside the room. They just began their lunch break.

He recognized me immediately and we chatted for a while on politics, local and national and other things of interest. Unfortunately, he lost his re-election bid during the primary by an "alleged" Republican moderate (like me, Smith is a conservative). His term ends in January.

Above, a shot of the Capitol with the sun just behind it. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One thing he told me that I found interesting is that Kansas is neither a Red State or Blue State. He called it a "Purple State". This is probably due to the numbers of moderate Republicans. Kansas may not be as reliable for Republicans as in years past, although Donald Trump won the state last week.

The Kansas State Capitol Building had recently undergone a restoration and it reminded me of the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento.

As I needed to get on to Abilene and Greg probably had a lunch appointment, we said our goodbyes and I proceeded to The Beast.

It was a joy to finally meet him in person.

Tomorrow...

Above, barbecuing chicken at Deer Creek Valley RV Park in Topeka. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's a couple of things I am looking forward to tomorrow.

First, it will be the day (hopefully) that my money transfer will go through so I can proceed on to Abilene, Kansas to see the Eisenhower Presidential Library and then, from there, go on into Colorado and be back in the western part of the United States.

Above, Sen. Greg Smith.

Second, if all works out, I will meet with Kansas State Senator Greg Smith. Most likely, this will take place after he completes a committee meeting in the state capitol. Thank goodness that I brought along a business suit (for the Noel Neill memorial service) so I won't be going there all grubby.

Depending upon when my money transfer takes place, I will either remain in Topeka (it is Kansas capital city) another night or proceed on to Abilene after meeting with Sen. Smith.

Thanks goodness I went to the Springfield, Illinois Walmart and did some grocery shopping. I have enough food and other necessities to last me a week while waiting for the money transfer. The transfer was made necessary after I shredded two tires on a sharp-edged curb of a traffic island in St. Louis, Missouri and I had to pay almost $500 for two new tires.

But, I can thank my lucky stars that that's all it was. No damage to The Beast itself. I do have to replace a wheel cover (the rear one) that got mangled. The driver's side front wheel cover got banged up, but is usable. I wait until I get home to deal with them.

In the meantime, I am barbecuing chicken tonight for dinner!

Trip Planning To Metropolis

Above, at the Auto Club. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Although the trip won't be for almost another month and a half from now, I figured that perhaps I should start planning it.

This will be pretty much a cross-country trip from Los Angeles to Metropolis, Illinois for Noel Neill's celebration of life. Metropolis is the home of the Super Museum, where Jim Hambrick has a big collection of all things Superman. I've always wanted to go there, so now's my chance!

There is a giant statue of Superman and a statue of Noel Neill, as Lois Lane, in town.

Above, planning the route at the Auto Club. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since we've been given plenty of notice of the celebration, I thought that this would be a good opportunity to jump into The Beast for a big road-trip. I was going to take a trip to Memphis next spring, but since I will be only three hours away from Memphis in Metropolis, I may as well go there now.

The states that I would be going through include Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and then Illinois. The pace of the drive (around 1,900 miles) will be determined by my daily progress and, of course, the weather as the memorial celebration will be held November 5.

The way back will be more leisurely and I will take a more northern route through Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah and Arizona.

I expect that all this will take about two weeks to complete.

En route to Metropolis, I plan to stop at some attractions, most notably Meteor Crater in Arizona and the library, museum, home and tomb of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois.

Above, with the TripTik in the foreground, I also picked
 up maps and tour books today. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On the way back to L.A., I will take a detour down to Memphis, Tennessee to visit Graceland and other attractions there. Then, I will head up to St. Louis, Missouri and then head west from there. Stops will include Kansas City (I will try to pay a visit to State Sen. Greg Smith in Overland Park, Kansas, if schedules permit), the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum, Silverton and Durango, Colorado (maybe ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train), Mesa Verde National Park, Monument Valley, Utah (where John Ford and John Wayne filmed all those classic westerns) and the Grand Canyon National Park. Then home from there.

I am beginning to get excited over this trip. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate.

At this time, it is just going to be Sierra and I, but I will see if I can arrange for another traveling companion. But I don't mind solo trips as I've done them before.

Oliver Stone's "Alternative Perspective" On Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Above, the A-Bomb Dome in Hiroshima.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Leave it to director Oliver Stone to skew history to fit in with his leftist politics.

First he did it in JFK, in which he tried to make a hero out of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (played by Kevin Costner) and misstated the facts surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Now he his aiming his sights on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by portraying that the bombings were unnecessary and we could have forced Japan to surrender without them.

According to the Asahi Shimbun's Asia & Japan Watch (AJW):

Last year, Stone produced a TV documentary series, “The Untold History of the United States,” which depicts contemporary U.S. history, ranging from the 1930s to the inauguration of President Barack Obama, from an alternative perspective. 

He wrote the series jointly with Peter Kuznick, 65, associate professor of history at American University. 

The documentary series consists of 10 episodes, one of which is devoted entirely to the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

According to the episode, many officials in the Truman administration were opposed to the idea of dropping nuclear weapons on Japan. The episode also took the position that it was possible to force Japan to surrender without the use of the atomic bomb. Despite the misgivings, the U.S. government used the weapons. 

Revealing the process that led to the decision to drop the bombs, Stone cast doubts on the generally accepted U.S. position that the bombings were necessary to end the war and that they prevented the need to invade mainland Japan with conventional forces and, as a result, saved many lives.

It is interesting that the common catchword for revisionism of history, "alternative perspective," is used in the article. I have no doubt that there may have been some members of the Harry Truman Administration and possibly in the military opposed to using the atomic bomb to end World War II, but if true to form, Stone will likely enlarge those people out of proportion and skew or change facts (and even make up stuff) to revise history to fit with his leftist thesis. Of course, some stupid people will believe the drivel Stone is spewing.

Even back then, General Dwight D. Eisenhower was concerned about revisionism on World War II. He wanted to make sure that everything was well-documented as he said:

“Get it all on record now - get the films - get the witnesses - because somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened.”  

It looks like "some bastard" is trying again to revise history in the form of an "alternative perspective" documentary.

To read the full article, go here. 

Eisenhower On Revisionism

Kansas State Senator Greg Smith (R-Overland Park) unearthed a great quote from former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower was also the supreme allied commander in Europe during World War II.

It brings to mind revisionists who try to re-write history to suit their political agendas. It bears remembering.

Here's the quote:

“Get it all on record now - get the films - get the witnesses - because somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened.”  

― Dwight D. Eisenhower